Citizen Schools has joined a coalition of stakeholders in Houston – including nonprofits, companies, schools, government, and more – that is working together to spark interest in the sciences among students in our community. Our city is one of only 13 finalists, chosen from 52 teams from across the country, that submitted plans to increase the number of science, technology, education, and math (STEM) professionals volunteering to lead real-world STEM projects with students traditionally underrepresented in the sciences.

As a finalist coalition, Houston has the opportunity to win vital resources that will be used to implement a pilot project to implement a Stem Mentorship Exchange, which will intelligently match mentoring needs with mentoring resources throughout the educational landscape of Houston. As announced by President Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative, up to five finalists will share nearly $1 million in resources from US2020, based on their plans to significantly increase STEM mentoring for girls, low-income students, and students of color. The US2020 effort aligns with our organization’s focus on education, and we are looking forward to lending our expertise to Houston’s exciting team.

Now we need your help. Our team’s Round 2 application is due at the end of January, and before then we need to add more coalition members, finalize our plan, and raise $50,000 in matching funds. Only with all hands on deck can we truly transform the way our students experience science, inspiring them to pursue STEM careers and strengthening our local workforce.